# Your Hair: Understanding pH Levels



## HairEgo (May 24, 2009)

Your Hair and Skin have a pH level between 4.5 - 5.5. Ideally, shampoo's should be formulated to closely match this pH.

pH refers to "*p*otential *H*ydrogen" . A pH of 7 is considered neutral; anything higher then 7 is considered to be alkaline and anything lower then 7 is considered to be acid based. Most hair care companies, professional or not, do not state the pH level of their shampoo's. Off the top of my head I can think of only 3 professional lines that list their pH.

Now that you know about the pH scale, your probably asking 'why do I care? How does this relate to my hair?!'...Truth is, it has a lot to do with the condition your hair is left in.

Typically, shampoo's designed to give you volume will have a high pH - generally between 7-8; The reason for this is because by having a higher pH in a volumizing shampoo, the alkalinity will open the cuticle and raise the fibers, thus allowing the hair to appear plump and fuller. Only problem with this is that by having such a high pH, we are leaving our hair cuticles wide open and susecptable to extrodinary amounts of damage. A lot of companies choose to leave the pH of certain shampoo's higher becuase lowering it takes a lot more time (to lower the pH level by 0.5 it takes an additional 2 hours) and money.

A lot of companies shampoo formulations will naturally sit on the alkaline side of the pH scale with their pH being lowerd by adding ingredients such as Citric Acid; over exposure to Citric acid can cause dryness to the hair and scalp. They may also compromise the stability of the product, giving it a lower shelf life.

A "good" shampoo formula will naturally be acid based; if the forumla is already on the acid side of the scale, no adjustments need to be made. The formula will be milder and more gentle on the hair and scalp.

For those who actually got through this long thread, I hope you have a better understanding of pH levels and your hair


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## ox0xbarbiex0xo (May 24, 2009)

Thanks for that! Totally didn't even think about this ever before!


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## Dragonfly (May 24, 2009)

What about ph and conditioners?

If a shampoo has a high ph, wouldn't a conditioner with a lower ph help offset and smooth the hair shaft?


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## HairEgo (May 24, 2009)

Generally, conditioners are more acidic.


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## Ricci (May 24, 2009)

great article!

do u know anything about the Aura line


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## Lucy (May 24, 2009)

wow i never knew about that!! i'm using a volumising shampoo at the minute (pantene's), is this maybe related to why i keep getting that random grease i made a thread about? (which i'm keeping at bay with a squirt of dry shampoo btw, it seems to be working alright)

what are the companies that list their ph?


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## Andi (May 24, 2009)

Originally Posted by *Lucy* /img/forum/go_quote.gif wow i never knew about that!! i'm using a volumising shampoo at the minute (pantene's), is this maybe related to why i keep getting that random grease i made a thread about? (which i'm keeping at bay with a squirt of dry shampoo btw, it seems to be working alright)
what are the companies that list their ph?

I was just gonna ask the same thing. What are some good shampoos to use?


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## HairEgo (May 24, 2009)

Another point I should mention is that even though conditioners will smooth and seal the hair, if you have colour treated hair and are using a shampoo with a high pH, you're going to experience a lot of color loss during the shampoo process. So if you are using a shampoo for colour treated hair, and your colour still fades like crazy, this may be why. Same goes for volumizing shampoo; generally those who use volumizing shampoo tend to have dryer hair and more colour fading then the rest of us.

As I said before, I only know of 3 brands (all professional) that list the pH on the bottles: Joico, Redken and Kenra. Of the 3, Kenra would be the only one that has a consistant pH in all the shampoo formulations of 4.5-5.5; this is why Kenra is the most expensive of the 3.


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## Ozee (May 24, 2009)

very helpful! now switching shampoos again lol..


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## HairEgo (May 24, 2009)

Originally Posted by *Ozee* /img/forum/go_quote.gif very helpful! now switching shampoos again lol.. B2!! You totally looked at the ingredients last night didnt you!!


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## Dragonfly (May 24, 2009)

Thanks for posting this topic Gina - I always enjoy your hair care ideas


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## HairEgo (May 24, 2009)

Originally Posted by *Dragonfly* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for posting this topic Gina - I always enjoy your hair care ideas Not a problem



It's sometimes hard to think of hair related topics people might be interested in reading, I just take a shot in the dark most of the time!


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## magosienne (May 25, 2009)

Thank you Gina, it's a helpful and interesting info you posted ! Now i'm off reading my labels lol.


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